


Heartlines

by kristsune



Series: Hotel Throw Down [1]
Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast), The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Blood, Crossover, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Zolf Smith/Oscar Wilde, Murder Husbands, brief descriptions of violence, but to come later, coined just for this series, murder fluff, not much crossover in this fic, sort of john wick au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:07:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24936559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kristsune/pseuds/kristsune
Summary: Barnes gets ambushed and injured. Carter refuses to let that stand, and does something about it.
Relationships: Commander Barnes/Howard Carter (Rusty Quill Gaming)
Series: Hotel Throw Down [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1804804
Comments: 8
Kudos: 20





	Heartlines

**Author's Note:**

  * For [felineladyy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/felineladyy/gifts).



> So, sometimes you just need to create a highley specific au with your friend (felineladyy) because its exactly what you both want in life rn. So please enjoy murder husbands. There will be more crossover aspects in other fics, but just needed something to start this off with.  
> Title from a Florence and the Machine song.

Barnes knew Carter was coming before the door slammed open, and he careened into the room. He had been hoping to delay this as long as possible, but news travelled fast in the hotel, and there was no way he could have gotten down to the infirmary completely unnoticed, not with the shape he was in. 

“ _ Barnes _ !” Carter slid on the floor to stop next to his bed, glaring at the doctor from where they were just finishing wrapping Barnes’ arm in a bandage. Barnes gave them a nod, and they backed off to help another one of the patients in the room. Zolf already came and went, tending to the most urgent wounds earlier. 

Carter was busy checking him over, eyes raking over him from head to toe cataloguing every injury. His hands gently gliding over each bandage, as if he needed to confirm that Barnes was there, and okay. Like he wanted to memorize each cut, and wound, and bruise, and broken bone; to remember each slight so it could be repaid in full.

Barnes reached his hand up to take Carter’s own, which pulled him out of his cataloguing and he looked into Barnes’ face, his expression a mixture of relieved, furious, concerned, and afraid. Carter rested his hand on Barnes’ neck, and leaned in close.

“Who did this to you?”

Barnes was taken aback by Carter’s tone. It was barely above a whisper, but it was intense, and dangerous. Barnes knew Carter was an extremely skilled assassin, he wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t, and Barnes had seen him in action many times, and he was one of the best. The thing about Carter, was that no one expected it, he was always upbeat, and joking, and silly. Carter didn’t  _ get _ angry, but right now? He was fucking  _ furious _ , and Barnes was very glad in that moment, that fury was not aimed at him.

“It’s fine. It was my own fault. I was ambushed, wasn’t paying enough atten-”

Carter cut him off with a gentle squeeze where his hand was still resting at the side of his neck, “Who. Did. This.” It was no longer a question, and Barnes didn’t think he could refuse him even if he wanted to. 

“That roaming gang, Grifter’s Bone.”

Barnes saw the recognition in Carter’s eyes. He took a moment to brush his thumb along Barnes’ cheek before leaning in, and kissing him gently, as if afraid he’ll hurt him further, but still licked at the blood from his split lip. Barnes couldn’t help but attempt to chase after the kiss, but his injuries kept him from moving too far. 

“Rest up, love. I’ll be back soon.”

And with that Carter was gone. Barnes was always impressed with how he was able to do that. Just. Gone. Without a trace. Barnes wished he could follow him, to watch his back, but even if he wanted to (which he couldn’t, not with the shape he was in) Carter knew how to hide his tracks well enough that even Barnes would have a difficult time following. He sighed as he leaned back into the pillows. It was going to be a long night,

\-------

It ended up being a long three nights; during which Grizzop and Zolf would stop by his room with rumors that were spreading like wildfire. Someone hunting down every member of Grifter’s Bone, just turning up dead, displayed in a way that could only be considered a warning. Sasha even stopped by once to mention their home base had been torched to the ground; it hadn’t been Martin, though he had apparently sounded impressed by the craftsmanship. No one had a better eye for quality arson than Martin K Blackwood. 

It was the evening of the third night when Carter came back. Barnes was still sat up in bed reading, unable to sleep well alone. Barnes heard the door shut, which meant Carter was purposefully letting him know that he was home. He walked into the room, most of his kit already removed, just in his undershirt and he quickly shucked off his trousers before climbing under the covers, and plastering himself to Barnes’ side. 

Barnes put down his book, and gently wrapped his arm around Carter’s shoulders. He winced slightly as Carter gripped a bit too tight around his cracked ribs, but he also wasn’t about to say anything about it.

“You’re safe now.” 

Barnes could barely hear him, but from what he could tell, Carter didn’t seem to have a scratch on him. He smiled down at him, that’s his boy. “Thanks to you, Howard.”

Carter hugged a little tighter as his breath hitched, “Could have lost you. I wasn’t even there to protect you. I  _ can’t _ lose you, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Barnes rubbed Carter’s back feeling the first tears soak into his shirt. He wasn’t entirely surprised by this outcome, Carter always did push his feelings down if something more important needed to be done first. And making sure Grifter’s Bone never hurt a hair on Barnes’ head again was deemed far more important than anything he had been feeling when he saw Barnes in that sickbed. Now it was all bubbling out of him, and Barnes would do anything to help him feel better.

“I’m here Howard. I’m okay. I’m safe. I won’t leave you, not ever. You’re mine as much as I am yours, and I don’t want to go anywhere.” Barnes continued to talk quietly for quite some time, when he had an idea of what might help both of them. “How about we change our contract with Wilde. We only work as a pair, no more solo missions for either of us. What do you think of that?”

Carter took a deep shaky breath, before shifting to look up at Barnes, tear tracks clearing a path through the blood splattered on his face that wasn’t his own, “I-I’d really like that. Do you think he would do that for us?”

Barnes gently brushed Carter’s hair off his forehead, “I do. Because he either does, or we leave, and he knows how much we bring in. Besides, Zolf will tell him yes, and Wilde always listens to Zolf’s advice.”

Carter smiled, “He does, doesn’t he?”

Unable to bend well enough to give Carter the kiss he’d prefer to, so Barnes settled for a soft smile, “Yes, yes he does.”

Carter snuggled back in, grip a little looser, but just as close, and Barnes knew they were past the worst of it. Barnes ran his hand through Carter’s hair as he settled, he would offer to help wash him up a little later. “Get some rest, Howie. You’ve earned it. I’ll be here when you wake.” Carter just sighed with a mumbled “love you” before falling asleep. And as Barnes watched him, he felt like the safest person in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> please feel free to stop by and say hello over on [tumblr](https://kristsune.tumblr.com/) or [twitter!](https://twitter.com/Kristsune)


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